...but came to bear witness

           about the light.

                   John 1. 8

(That is why we also are in this

 time and place

          and among these people:

strategically positioned

                  to bear witness

and to bring the name of Jesus here,

What does "bear witness" mean

  in all I do, say, think, and pray

                                   today?

What different choices

                   do I make?)

O LORD,

May our lives reflect

Your steadfast love,

             faithfulness,

             and grace

   even in unlikely places

   and unexpected situations.

Help us to be faithful to You

    and to show others

               that You are true

      and loving and real.

May they see something different in us

          and that would be You.

Strengthen us to walk with You,

   bear witness,

       and love others to You.

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

 

Serve the LORD with gladness.

                Psalm 100. 2

(What marks our lives

is not just what we do,

     but how we do it

        and why we do it.

What is my heart in this?

Are we serving the LORD

    or seeing it as a task?

An obligation with a bad attitude

    or opportunity to

              serve the Almighty?

To seize the possibility

        to bring His name here

        in tangible ways?)

O LORD,

We come to You this morning

    with hearts that yearn

    to serve You

             and bring You glory.

Help us to not just see

     a set of circumstances,

but all the ways we can

              love You

              and others in them.

Let our joy in You

   permeate all that we do.

 

The people of Israel

did not remember

         the LORD their God,

who had delivered them

from the hand of all their enemies

                 on every side.

               Judges 8. 34

(The story that God has given

                  each of us

     was designed to be shared

with those around us

        and the next generation

        that they may know that He is God

and to see Him at work

         in real time in our lives.

Our personal chronicle of God's faithfulness

    also reminds us

    of God's continual intervention

      in our daily lives

      in the big stuff and the ordinary.

How can we possibly do this life

                    without Him?)

O LORD,

Stir up in us the desire and Your courage

     to speak of You to others

that they may see Your hand in our lives

    and they may come to know You.

May our actions and our words

     bear witness to You

 even in unexpected places

                and among unlikely people,

    when we are conscious

                    of the opportunity

    and even when we have no clue.

May we be continually aware

             of Your faithfulness

    even in the very details.

Others are watching us

   to know that You are real.

May we be faithful to You

   as You have been

              so faithful to us.

   

 

And he divided the 300 men

into three companies

and put trumpets

  into the hands of all of them

and empty jars,

  with torches inside the jars.

               Judges 7. 16

(How much are we willing

    to follow God and trust Him?

What in the world

          can God do with

   a trumpet and an empty jar?

Or what He can do with me

   in these difficult circumstances?

God specializes in

             impossible situations

to reveal His glory there.

Trust Me in this.)

O LORD,

We all struggle with something.

Be our strength

    even in these hard places.

Help us to come to You,

listen to You,

         and respond to You.

Even when all we have

     in our hands

     is a trumpet and an empty jar.

We cannot understand,

        but we can follow You.

You reveal.

You redeem.

You reign,

            even in this.

 

And he said to Him,

"Please, Lord,

      how can I save Israel?

Behold, my clan

      is the weakest in Manasseh,

and I am the least

             in my father's house."

And the LORD said to him,

           "But I will be with you..."

                Judges 6. 15-16

(And God's Presence

              makes all the difference.

When we cry out, "I can't do this!"

    God replies, "Good.

                  Because I can."

God chooses the most unlikely

    to fulfill His purposes

    and to bring His glory there.

Even us.

Even right here in this mess

   or on the most ordinary days.)

O LORD,

Wrap Your Spirit around us

    like a shield

    and with Your strength,

that we may bring You glory

     in whatever is before us.

It is only by Your Presence

     that we can go forth.

Help us to grasp the reality of

     "Be not afraid.

       I am with you."

Help us to be faithful to You

    in Your designs for us today.

Even in the hard stuff.

Even in the victories.

 

Barak said to her,

     "If you will go with me..."

                 Judges 4. 8

(Sometimes we just need

    someone to come alongside

    to walk with us on that scary path,

    to be a faithful witness,

    to give us a little more courage

        and a help in time of need.

Sometimes we need

                to be that person.

God provides in unexpected ways.

   And often that involves us.)

O LORD,

Help us to pay attention

   to the people all around us.

Help us to know not just to help

         but how to help,

sometimes carrying a heavy load,

sometimes caring for a heavy heart.

May we come before You

   to find the grace to help

              in time of need.

May we realize that fellowship

    means we are all fellows

                 on Your same ship.

Help us to be attentive,

   ready to walk alongside someone

   on their difficult path.

We just need to be there for them

   to encourage and instill courage,

   and to be Your hands and feet.

     

 

But I am among you

    as one who serves.

               Luke 22. 27

(That is why God has

       appointed us here

in this exact place,

in this moment in time,

among these people

    to serve, love

    and be a witness.

What God places before us

  sometimes is not

             what we would have chosen,

but in His love and His strength,

          we can be faithful to Him in it,

approach, navigate and do it

    for His name's sake and glory.

Not "have to,"               

                    but "get to.")

O LORD,

Please lay Your day before us.

Help us to follow You into it.

Grant to us the wisdom and vision,

          strength and courage,

to walk in Your name,

to love others,

to not see interruptions

         but opportunities to serve You.

Even in our serving,

   help us to trust You in this

and bear Your name.

Help us to be known

     as one who serves.

          

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

 

And he will show you

         a large upper room,

         furnished;

prepare it there.

                 Luke 22. 9

(When we are faithful to God,

responsive to His nudges,

and dedicate whatever we do

    for His purposes and glory,

we cannot conceive or imagine

    what God redeems through it.

Even getting a room ready

           for an unexpected party,

scrubbing the bathrooms,

      or welcoming stranger or friend

                          on the front porch,

are never mundane tasks,

but embedded in God's fundamental law

          not just of hospitality,

                        but the gospel.

Even in unexpected ways

               and unlikely places.)

O LORD,

Help us to keep our eyes on You

   in the times of abundance

   and in the wilderness

      where You display Your wonders

               on even what first appears

                    as an ordinary day.

May we come before

        Your throne of mercy

        even in our everyday work,

that we may find the grace

   to help in time of need.

Help us to realize

     what we encounter

     and what You appoint

is not an interruption

             but about the gospel.

It always is.

     Lives redeemed.

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

 

Choose this day

    whom you will serve...

But as for me and my house,

    we will serve the LORD.

              Joshua 24. 15

(To serve the LORD

is a decision we choose

    not just every day,

    but throughout the day.

When we serve God,

even in what we consider

             insignificant decisions,

tweaks the course of our lives

    --to follow God or serve ourselves,

       to follow God

         or make excuses

           (of which there always are many).

What we choose

     impacts everyone around us

     and those who come after us.)

O LORD,

We desire to serve You.

Help us to not just hear Your voice,

      but to respond fully to You.

Following You

             changes everything,

bearing directly on our lives,

     those around us,

     and those who come after us.

Help us to be a witness to You,

    to point others to You

    by how we live,

    by the choices we make.

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

 

Today we know

that the LORD is

          in our midst....

           Joshua 22. 31

(Not just believe, but know.

    And that makes all the difference

    in how we live.

Not just looking for evidence,

              or His hand,

              or for Him,

                 as if He is on trial,

but walking with Him

         and trusting in Him,

because He is right here among us.

Even in this.)

O LORD,

You are here moving among us

           livestream.

Help us in all that we are doing,

how we are approaching situations,

       or navigating circumstances,

to be a witness

         that You are God.

May we not just realize Your Presence

               but cling to You.

You empower us to walk

                     in unlikely places,

to bring Your name here,

and to love people right to You.

You transform our hearts

          and the course of our lives.

Be among us this day.

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

 

The heavens are Yours,

the earth also is Yours,

the world and all that is in it,

       You have founded them.

The north and the south,

       You have created them.

               Psalm 89. 11-12

(The fingerprints of God

        mark all we can see

        and all our days.

The awe we feel in His Creation

            is a call to worship

   that everyone hears,

   whether they believe in God or not.

God reveals Himself all around us.

    This world did not just happen.

    This world is not all there is.

So much we do not even

                give Him credit for.

He even created north and south

     --the original GPS.)

O LORD,

May we be observant of Your Creation

    and pay attention to all You have done.

Every small detail

    You weave intricately together.

Even the tiniest details are profound,

     a vital part of the whole.

We stand in awe of You.

Help us to point others

  not just to what we see and experience,

                        but to You.

Thank You for Your beauty.

And that we can see

           Your glory in it.

You mark our days

                 with wonder.

 

And he rebuilt the city

     and settled in it.

               Joshua 19. 50

(This may be exactly why

God strategically positioned us

    in this strange, barren place:

to bring His name here,

to restore the brokenness,

to rebuild,

to bind wounds,

to plant, nurture

             and bear fruit,

and to make it home for many.)

O LORD,

This morning, we hold up our hands

                     to You

to show us Your way in this day,

             right where we are,

how to love and serve You

   even in unlikely places

   and among unexpected people

      whom You have placed on our path.

You redeem,

even in ways we cannot yet see.

Help us to accept Your invitation

          to be faithful.

Even in the hard places,

     Your glory prevails.

We see only dirt.

You already see the forest here.

 

...but the hill country

             shall be yours,

for though it is a forest,

you shall clear it and possess it

          to its farthest borders.

                    Joshua 17. 18

(What have we done

   with what God has granted us?

What little patch of ground,

                 of work,

                 of ministry,

                 of relationships,

has God placed in our care

    for His glory

    and to weave His name there?

Are we being faithful

  even in what doesn't appear to matter?

How has He called us not just to do,

                       but to be,

   in this little, insignificant,

           maybe bothersome,

           out of the way corner,

                task, problem or chore?

God does not call us to be successful,

or powerful,

or famous,

         but to be faithful to Him.

He is at work in eternal ways

   through divine appointments

   and sacred encounters

      that we don't see as such.)

O LORD,

Help us to get beyond asking

        why am I here?

And see this place, this work,

         even this difficulty

   as an opportunity to serve You.

Reveal to us Your day for us,

     even in what we don't understand,

and help us to be faithful to You.

There are no small obediences.

And what we see

               as an interruption

    is not an interruption to You.

May faithfulness to You

        produce Your fruit today.

Help us to see Your beauty

      even in what You have

             given us to do.

 

...for the sake of the

       Kingdom of God...

                Luke 18. 29

(What am I doing today

          for His sake,

          in His name,

          in His will,

with His name written

at the top of the page

       and the top of the day?

There are

     no insignificant obediences.

Nothing God cannot use

                  powerfully.

No detail too small.

No grace that

          doesn't bear fruit.

Even now, even in this.)

O LORD,

We come before You  

    not with our agenda,

but that You would reveal

         Your day for us.

Help us to be faithful

                in all things,

   even in what might appear

      mundane and unrelated.

For You are great

     and do wondrous things,

far beyond our myopic vision,

          our understanding,

and even the course of our lives.

Help us to not just

           bring Your name with us,

but to walk with You in it

  for the sake of Your Kingdom.

 

I am still as strong today

as I was in the day

       that Moses sent me.

My strength now is

  as my strength was then...

                Joshua 14. 11

(Because following the LORD

      is not a one-off event,

but builds strength in the everydays,

            not just for a crisis.

On whom or what do we

                   turn for strength?

       What is our first response?

God is faithful.

   We come to know and trust Him

          even more degree by degree,

          day by day,

          little by little,

          mile by mile,

     in joy and in difficulty.

There are no ordinary days

                 in God's sight.

There is nothing God cannot use

    in drawing us closer to Him.)

O LORD,

We pray not for our strength

           but for Yours.

Help us to realize that it is You

    working in us

                  and through us

that builds the strength we need

          not just for today

                       but our lifetimes.

And as we come to know Your strength,

   may we bear witness to You

that others would come to know You.

It is not in us

                   but You.

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

 

Blessed are those

   whose strength is in You,

in whose heart are

   the highways to Zion.

As they go through

            the Valley of Baca,

they make it a place of springs...

They go from strength to strength.

                  Psalm 84. 5-7

(Not our own strength,

                       but His.

God builds up His strength in us,

    by layers and degrees,

    day by day,

    by difficulty, resistance

               and circumstances,

lest we think it is our own doing.

For not in just what we encounter

   but how we navigate,

         we point others to God.

No way we can endure without Him.

                  Others notice that.

As we approach and walk in

    the dry and barren places

     --our own personal Valley of Baca--

may we make it a place of sweet springs

         of beauty and refreshment

    in unexpected and impossible places.

What does it take to do that today?)

O LORD,

Empower us today

       in whatever is before us

to move from strength to strength

    by seeking You more

and loving others into Your arms.

Help us to see where we are

              differently

because we walk with You.

Your Presence changes everything,

         even our hearts.

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

 

Do not be afraid

        or be dismayed.

Be strong and courageous.

                 Joshua 10. 25

(How many times does God

         have to remind us

before we trust Him in this?

In whatever we face today,

   we approach and navigate

                        differently

because we walk with Him.)

O LORD,

It is Your strength and courage

           that we seek.

Help us to live with new hearts

      and fresh vision

even in what is familiar,

even in what overwhelms us.

You are with us.

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

 One who is faithful in a very little 

      is also faithful in much, 

one who is dishonest in a very little 

      is also dishonest in much.

                       Luke 10.18

(Every action, word and attitude is significant.  What we do, how we treat others, how we approach and navigate, what we think, dwells on, and do when no one is looking, reveals our hearts and how we view God.  Even the very little is monumental and radically changes the trajectory of our lives— far more than we realize. How does that impact my decisions today?)

O LORD,

Help us to not just be 

         mindful of You today,

but bear the mind of Christ 

     even in the smallest details,

     which are never insignificant.

May we dwell in You

      and walk with you

            every step in this day

to bring You glory,

       even in this.

 

And the commander

        of the LORD's army

        said to Joshua,

"Take off your sandals

               from your feet,

for the place where you

   are standing is holy.

And Joshua did so.

                   Joshua 5. 15

(Right here.

Right where we are

    even in this barren place.

How differently would we

    approach what is before us,

navigate this rocky path,

and live,

if we realized where we walk

and where God guides us

             is sacred ground?

God has strategically placed us here

    for His purposes,

    for His Kingdom,

    for His glory,

and for His love for us.

All we do and where we walk

     is a form of worship.)

O LORD,

Please make us mindful

    of all we do today

    to consider and embrace

            Your way in this.

Align our hearts with Yours

  that we would see this place,

  or situation,

  or difficulty,

              even the joys ,

differently because

   You walk with us here

   on sacred ground.

 

...in order that you may know

          the way you shall go,

for you have not passed

          this way before.

                 Joshua 3. 4

("Follow Me into this."

What is unknown to us

    is not unknown to Him.

God is taking each one of us

    on a pathway

                   closer to Him.

He has already equipped us

  in ways we may not recognize.

We have only to be faithful

  and sensitive to His leading.

God is revealing Himself.

God is redeeming this situation,

   even in ways we cannot know.)

O LORD,

You call us

      to trust You in this.

We have not passed this way before.

We may not pass it again.

Help us to not miss You,

        nor be distracted,

but follow You closely

and come to know You more.

Help us to not miss today

  and to all You have appointed us.

Even the difficult,

             You redeem.

Even what we do not understand,

    You walk with us through it.

You are right here with us,

pointing out step by step,

revealing not just what to do

           and where to go,

       but Who You are.

 

...tie this scarlet cord in the window

through which you let us down.

                Joshua 2. 18

(May our lives be marked visibly

     by our grace for others.

Even one act of grace

               and faithfulness

  gives rise to

a thousand acts of grace

   for the flourishing of others

   and for His glory

 in tangible and unexpected ways.

The cord is not designed

to get God's attention,

   but as a strong reminder to us

               to live that way.)

O LORD,

Help us to live visibly

with a strong scarlet cord

         of Your grace in our lives,

not just by what we do

   but by our hearts

                in how we love You

                and others.

Your scarlet cord of faithfulness,

       love and hope

   run from cover to cover

   in Your Word.

Even in the most impossible situations,

               You redeem,

   far more than we can know.

 

He is not here,

     but He has risen.

              Luke 24. 6

(He has risen indeed.

Jesus did not need

    the stone to be moved

    to get out of the tomb,

but for us to know

          He had conquered death.

These are the seven words

    that change everything.

Hope is not wishful thinking,

   but the Risen One,

   on whom we can stake our lives.

A glorious Easter celebration

                          to you!)

O LORD,

You came to save us from our sin.

You came to save us from ourselves.

You suffered.  You died.

      You continue to love us

             with Your everlasting love.

You rose from the dead.

      That we may live with You.

In this life

              and the next.

Hallelujah!

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

 

For it is no empty word for you,

     but your very life.

            Deuteronomy 32. 47

(God's Word reorders our minds,

        our hearts and our loves.

Marinating in scripture changes us

     more than we can know.

If we knew how deeply

      God speaks to us through it,

we would not take His Word

                      so lightly.)

       

O LORD,

Thank You for Your Word

and how You so powerfully use it

in our hearts and souls and minds.

And even how it radically

         affects everyone around us.

May Your Word soften our hearts

    and strengthen our love for You.

You do not just teach us how to love,

    but You love us through it.

You transform not just our thoughts

            but our actions,

but show us in black and white

    how we can be faithful to You.

Your Word is a lamp to our feet,

       a light to our path,

       and a delight to our hearts

because through it,

          we can know You more.

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

 

Be strong and courageous.

Do not fear

    or be in dread of them,

for it is the LORD your God

        who goes with you.

He will not leave you

                     or forsake you.

         

            Deuteronomy 31. 6

(Worry blocks out

               all available light.

Fear only promises

              to let all the air

              out of our tires.

God is not about to

         abandon us now

   on the side of the road,

   in the middle of despair,

   or the darkness of night.

God does not just go with us,

   God even goes before us.

"Walk with Me.

You already know how to trust Me,

because you have walked with Me

            through so much before now.

         I am still with you.")

O LORD,

Help us to keep our eyes on You

        and not on circumstances.

Help us to keep our hands in Yours.

You hold us tight.

You guide us through

   what we cannot handle on our own.

You bring Your glory

           in unexpected ways.

You bring Your name to dwell

          in unlikely places.

Grant to us

   the courage we need for today

and know that in Your Hope

  we can stake our lives.

 

He divided the sea

and let them pass through it,

and made the waters

stand like a heap.

              Psalm 78. 13

(God's power is not always

revealed in ways

that we would anticipate

    or according to our plans.

God specializes in the unexpected.

Sometimes God's deliverance

             is directly through

             what overwhelms us,

that we may know

       He is God

       and we are not.

God reveals in ways

    that cannot be explained away

    or claimed as our own doing.)

O LORD,

You are continually adding

   to Your chronicle of faithfulness

                                 to us

   and for us to know You more.

Things may be outside our control

        but not beyond Yours.

Help us to not just know what to do

                  or Your way in this,

but realize beyond a shadow of doubt,

    how very much we are loved by You.

We are not defined by our circumstances.

We all struggle with Red Seas in our lives.

          But we can know You more

          and be known by You.

We can hope not for answers,

              but hope in You.

On You, we can stake our lives.

 

And all the peoples of the earth

shall see that you are called

by the name of the LORD...

               Deuteronomy 28.10

(We look differently

    because our hearts have been changed.

Strength, joy and hope are evident

            by Whom we worship

      and on Whom we stake our lives.

Grace, love and kindness abound

      in how we treat others.

Trusting in God guides our way,

      even in the hard and scary places.

Following God changes not just our hearts,

         but everything about us.

We bear His name

    and behold His Presence,

    no matter the circumstances.

God changes the course of our lives.)

O LORD,

Help us to listen to Your voice,

marinate in Your Word,

follow Your path,

and respond to You,

    no matter the circumstances.

Help us to live in such a way

   that You cannot be explained away.

Help us to live in such a way

   that others see You.

          

 

Now as they went on their way,

Jesus entered a village.

And a woman named Martha

   welcomed Him

             into her house.

               Luke 10. 38

(Jesus knew exactly

        where He was going.

What Martha saw as

   a simple act of kindness

   and hospitality to a stranger

radically changed her life

            in profound ways.

There are no insignificant kindnesses.

When we invite Jesus

        into our days and our hearts,

He does not just rearrange the furniture

   but transforms in unexpected ways

        the course of our lives

   and consequently in the lives of others.

There are no ordinary days

           in the sight of God.

Every step we take

   traverses sacred ground.)

O LORD,

Help us to realize that this day

     is anything but ordinary.

May we see all those around us

    as divine appointments

    and even interactions with strangers

               as sacred encounters.

We ask You to enter into this day,

   but realize You are already here,

                 waiting for us.

Guide our steps.

Order our thoughts.

Align our hearts with Yours.

Help us to see -- and respond--

   differently in the familiar

   and always in the unexpected.

When the earth totters,

and all its inhabitants,

it is I

who keep steady its pillars.

               Psalm 75. 3

(The key word here is

            when.

We live in a broken world,

 but we can abide in God.

We will be shaken

        in some manner,

   mostly in the unexpected storms,

            we didn't see coming,

      but we can trust in Him.

God has a strong hold on us.

    He ties us to His mast.

He takes our hands

                   in His.

God is our refuge,

protection, provision,

       and place of strengthening,

no matter the circumstances,

          and there will be many.

Trust Me in this.

             Even in this.)

O LORD,

We do not just believe in You,

but we can stake our lives

                  in Your care.

And no matter the earthquakes

in this broken world,

   You are with us,

guiding and providing.

Help us to keep our eyes on You.

Let not fear and worry rob us

    from serving You

    and loving others

      in their desperate need.

May we live in such a way

   that others see You

and run to You.

 

But as for you,

go and proclaim

   the Kingdom of God.

            Luke 9. 60

(In every way we can,

wherever we are,

every opportunity,

          even now,

          even in this,

          even in words.

Bring the name of Jesus.

Point others to Him.

Proclaiming is a way of life.

It is how we

         navigate our days.)

 

O LORD,

Open our eyes

   and enlarge our hearts

that we would see You,

those around us,

     and circumstances differently.

You have strategically positioned

     every one of us

to love others right into Your arms,

    every sacred encounter,

    every divine appointment.

Nudge us, Almighty One,

    not just to say something,

    but to love others

       in word and deed.

 

...let not your heart faint.

Do not fear or panic

   or be in dread of them,

for the LORD your God is He

   who goes with you

   to fight for you

           against your enemies,

to give you the victory.

               Deuteronomy 20. 4

(Our enemies are anything we fear,

         both real and imagined.

And sometimes the imagined

         appear the fiercest of all.

When we walk with God through this,

    God brings the victory

            in the most impossible situations

and covers us with His glory

                        in unlikely ways.

Sometimes we will understand,

sometimes it is far beyond

            what we will ever see,

but even then He whispers to us,

          "Trust Me in this.")

O LORD,

We are shattered.

The darkness is menacing

       all around us.

We are threatened by it.

But Almighty,

         You are good.

         You bring good,

   even to what appears defeat.

Fill us by Your strength.

Give us Your courage.

And help us to

    bring Your name here.

You cover us with Your victory

              and Your glory

for our sake,

for Your sake,

and for Your Kingdom.

Help us to trust You

    even in the storm.

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